Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a high density connector system for use in interconnecting a plurality of printed circuit boards, which connections have to be shielded from outside electromagnetic interference, i.e., EMI. Furthermore, the invention relates to such a connector system which is modular and easily assemblable, and provides for high density with respect to the number of interconnections possible, as well as permitting such interconnections to be achieved with a negatively low insertion force when assembling the units in conjunction with printed circuit boards. The invention also relates to a method of making such an interconnect connector system.
In the past, when interconnecting a plurality of printed circuit boards together, there has typically been employed what is known as a right angle connector. In such a system, the main printed circuit board, i.e., typically known as a mother board, will include a number of connectors mounted thereon through which a plurality of other printed circuit boards, i.e., daughter boards can be mounted at a 90.degree. orientation with respect to the mother board. While being satisfactory for most uses, such a system is limited in that only a limited number of daughter boards can be mounted on a single mother board. Furthermore, such an arrangement is also difficult to shield when it is desirable to avoid the effects of electromagnetic interference, i.e., EMI.
In supercomputer applications, a very large number of printed circuit boards are necessary for use in an interconnected manner and it is desirable to provide such an interconnect system which does not limit the number of printed circuit boards, i.e., PCBs, which can be interconnected and further, which is easily shieldable against the adverse effects of EMI.
In a preferred aspect, such a system would involve vertical stacking of the printed circuit boards with the interconnects or connectors mounted in-between in a "sandwich style" arrangement. Although desirable, in the past, such connectors have been relatively difficult and expensive to construct and shield. Thus, even though they have provided the greatest flexibility, generally the approach has been to employ a right angle type connector system because of the relative savings in cost.